Would have to say this is our biggest game of the season so far, but from a neutrals point of view I can see there being plenty of talking points. United's 3 last minute winners last year and Carlos Tevez taking the step from Red to Blue has certainly spiced up what is now not just a derby, but a rivalry also, over the last 12 months.

Gary – g_lfcRJL – Man Utd Fan 123David – MyconMike – Blue Moon

Gary - Lets get going then...How big is this game?

Mike – very, fairly obviously

RJL - It's big in terms of rivalry and what happened last season, but in terms of City being title rivals to us and Chelsea and Arsenal, I think it's too early in the season too look at it that way, but yeah especially since Tevez went and the games last season, it's very big

David - Have to say it's one of the biggest Manchester derby’s I can remember, don't ever remember seeing City more favourites towards a match by the bookies before

Gary - So City's emergence as a top side has helped drive the rivalry on?

David - With all that they've spent, they need to start beating us

Mike - maybe from their point of view

RJL - I'd say so definitely. It used to be just a derby, now it's a rivalry too

Mike - we still beat you the odd time before the money

RJL - they did great against us in every match last year, they just forgot they also get paid to play stoppage time too

David - yeah you did but that was for mid-table positions...Shaun Goater used to have great games i remember

Gary - are you Utd fans getting worried about city? And do City fans not worry about Utd as much nowadays?

Mike - no I'm still worried... it's hard not to worry about one of the best teams of the Premier League, granted in this fixture in particular they looks a bit more fragile than usual

Gary - but Utd aren't half as good as they used to be.

Mike - they still aren't that bad

RJL - It's only natural to worry more now they have much better players than they used to. I mean a few years ago it wasn't as bad even though they still had good players, but I never imagined then they'd have the likes of Tevez, Yaya Toure, Silva etc

David - well you have to worry about them when you see the money that has been invested in them and the quality of players in their squad. They pushed us so close last year, it's going to be hard to beat them this year now they've improved again

Mike - so yeah... still worried lolyou've got a little worse, but footy isn’t play on paper!

Gary - what kind of line ups can we expect?

RJL - Ours largely depends on injuries to Giggs and Nani

David - I wouldn't be surprised to see Ferguson go 4-5-1, especially after City’s midfield dominations against Liverpool and Chelsea

RJL - VDS; Rafael; Ferdinand; Vidic; Evra; Nani; Scholes; Fletcher; Giggs; Berbatov; Hernandezbut in the likelyhood of Fergie going 4-5-1, and doubts over both Giggs and Nani, I could see O'Shea LB, Evra forward to winger and a midfield 3 of Scholes, Fletcher, Carrick, with Berbatov upfront alone

RJL - if O'Shea's at LB, and they play Johnson from the start, we could be *bleep*ed right away

Mike - Johnsons been doing extra training today so he's pushing for a starting place but I doubt he'll drop either Milner or Silva (cant drop Silva imo) and we're gunna use the spine up the middle.Tell you who I am worried about... Hernandez.. he's turning into a wee cult hero and nothing would add to that more than by scoring against us...

David - We really need Nani to play I feel, we might struggle to break them down without his invention

RJL - Realistically, I think we're looking at VDS; Rafael; Rio; Vida; O'Shea; Nani; Scholes; Fletcher; Carrick; Evra; Berbatov. If Nani doesn't play I really dunno, I don't want Park on the wing and Obertan's not ready to start a game like this

Gary - What kind of game can we expect? Two teams frightened to lose? Or will one or both go for it?

RJL - I think it will be cagey

Mike - maybe open up as time goes by if we're containing well

David - City are exceptionally strong physically, just look at the likes of Yaya Toure, Richards and Boateng. Going to be very hard to break them down and their formation means that they won't play an openly expansive game. i wouldn't expect the game to match last seasons games for entertainment

RJL - you can't go all attack attack, attack, against a team with Tevez upfront and Silva and Milner supporting

Gary - What'll be the key to winning the game then?

Mike - containing Nani... keeping the ball on the ground and having some possessionworking it round and not just lumping it for Tevez to chase

RJL - Two things for us really. Who starts, if Nani starts we have a great chance I feel, he's our key man this year with Rooney out, and also our defence, it's been getting better lately and hopefully we can get Evra at LB, and Rio should return

David - holding strong against Tevez on the counter in particular...then hopefully find a way to win midfield

RJL - Scholes and Fletcher are brilliant togetherPark's great through the middle and Carrick's found some form last few games

David - fletcher usually performs well in the bigger games too. Scholes is just a brilliant player, controlled the game at the end of last season in the league...inconsistent though hopefully one of his better days

RJL - I think our away form will stand us in good stead for tomorrow, yes we've drawn a lot but we're unbeaten away from home in even longer than we're unbeaten ‘cos our last defeat was at home. we went to Everton, which is a hard place to go and played really well, until the 91st minute. Played ok against Bolton which is another tough place to go, and got wins at Stoke and Valencia

Gary now has had enough and leaves

RJL - do either of you think last year's results will have a baring on tomorrow's results? For instance City will know we did them in stoppage time 3 times last year, may make them more attacking to get a win wrapped up, United may take it slower, opinions on this?

David - Hmm, if it's level going into the last five minutes you would feel that united would have the psychological advantage

Mike - and yeah I think just as the more successful club down the years united tend to get the psychological edge, that said all the new players coming in form overseas maybe wouldn't feel the same as the likes of Richards or Hart would. Toure should have a decent mind set for the game after playing in so many big games for Arsenal over the years

RJL - right, so beyond the obvious men, the likes of Tevez and Nani. who on the opposition team do you feel could be the difference between the teams on the night?

Mike - Like I already said Hernandez... then Berb if he plays... he does have a touch of class, and fooking Scholes, pushing on for highest derby scorer

David - De Jong is quite an underrated player for them, people say he's a hacker and a dirty player, which he probably is alright...but between tackles he's a very solid player, good on the ball and adds grit to the team

RJL - Hernandez is very pacey, I haven't really seen him full pelt for us but he's a nippy little fella, his movement is second to none, really reminds of Owen in his young days at Liverpool. quick, agile and you'd always put money on him to score a goal.

RJL - what do you hold as your favourite derby of recent times? Personally, I couldn't look beyond the 4-3 last season, it was such a fantastic game and the way it was one just stepped the rivalry up, but all 3 wins last year we're brilliant, although the game at Eastlands a few years ago where Richard Dunne basically won us the game was pretty good.

Mike - hmm... both the games two years ago when we did the double were great for me for different reasons..... going into the first one I'd been getting told none stop how we were gunna get battered etc.. then in the pub watching it when Geo pinged it in (took a nick off Vidic iirc) I was *bleep*ing ecstatic.. then I believe in that same game Tevez missed a fairly easy back post header right at the death.

David - i can't think of a better derby win than last season either, the Carling Cup Rooney winner was special for me too. The derby’s hold more to be now than they did years ago because of city's improvement. As was said, it's a derby and a rivalry now

Mike - then going back a few years.. there was the 3-1 which I watched round a mates with his entire United supporting family, that was nice.. and then a couple years before that the 4-1 when SWP did Rio (I think) and blazed it in.. then... robot...The best ever though form our point of view (not that any of us were alive for it) has to be the Dennis Law back-heel game

RJL - anyway, to wrap things up, as i didn’t realise i'd be editing this, what are your predictions for the match?For me, 1-1 Milner and Fletcher

Heres hoping our team will get the better of their individuals. We can't let them have their individuals get on the ball for too long or they will punish us and hopefully none of their individuals will produce a moment of magic at a crucial time.

Gonna be a very tough game indeed. With the players we have missing at the moment, on paper it probably looks like City will tear us a new one, but I think it'll be closer than what some people are predicting. I can see it being a win by 1 goal or a draw tbh. The midfield battle will be interesting.